


Pivot Point

by CometMystic



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2019-02-04 18:25:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12776796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CometMystic/pseuds/CometMystic
Summary: (NDRV3 Spoilers)The séance brings about a change of heart. And with it, a change of fate.





	Pivot Point

  "You want to talk to Angie-san, right? Then, Tenko will be the channeller... That way, you can say goodbye to her. And after you've said your farewells, you can hold your chin up and start moving forward! With Tenko and everyone else!" Tenko's eyes glistened as she took Yumeno's hands in hers, squeezing softly as though she were a scared rabbit. "...Please," she whispered.

  Yumeno hesitated. Her stare sagged to the musty floorboards below, and she kicked dust and cobwebs with her feet. Tenko opened her mouth to speak again, but she could feel Yumeno forming words in her mind so she waited with a delicate, encouraging smile on her face.

  "You've...." She inhaled sharply, and finally met Tenko's longing gaze. "You've done enough."

  Tenko's eyebrows shot up, but she still gave her time; she was having a hard enough time getting her words out.

  "If... I am to do this for you... If I am to walk onward, 'tis a must that I begin moving with mine own feet," she said, pausing as though looking for confirmation she wasn't speaking nonsense. Tenko nodded.

  "I've so much I owe to Angie... And you, Chabashira." Yumeno finally squeezed back, a tired smile beginning to stir at her lips. "I shall do good by what you've given me, and that starts here! My magic shall summon Angie's spirit from beyond, and also prevent you from going through something tiresome. Then I'll do even more for you! ...And stuff," she finished, slouching as her steam faded.

  Tenko leaned closer, gliding her hands to Yumeno's shoulders, and spoke with her voice nigh a whisper. "You're doing enough already, Yumeno-san--honest. But if doing this will give you closure, Tenko won't stop you. As long as you're feeling okay...!"

  "'t'll be alright," Yumeno said, ghosting her trembling, cold fingers over Tenko's own. "With Shinguuji's help, we may do this ritual again, if need be. Plus, Monokuma's Necro... nomnom... con... thing still lurks about from the investigation. We may use that in Angie's stead. All will be well. We can make it so...."

  Tears began to stream down Tenko's face. "You're already going in the right direction... Tenko is... so proud of you, Yumeno-san."

  Yumeno's semblance of composure shattered all at once, and she flung herself at Tenko, falling into her strong, warm embrace. She sobbed like none had seen since the killing game began, letting all of her frustrations and fears out in a single overwhelming burst. Tenko stroked her hair, keeping her caresses soft as she whispered sweet nothings and rocked her in her arms.

  Time all but stood still, and their grasp on one another only grew more intimate as the minutes ticked by. Tenko thanked everyone in the room under her breath when she noted none of them were interfering. Being grateful to Ouma felt funny on her tongue.

  After what seemed like forever, Yumeno made to pull away. Tenko followed suit, leaning back and holding her gaze again. Even when she was a tired, unkempt mess, Tenko found Yumeno beautiful.

  "Uhnaa... Angie awaits... We mustn't dawdle," said Yumeno with a sniffle, making no further effort to not dawdle.

  Tenko giggled. "You're right. We'll check up on her, kick whatever menace did this to the curb, then see about doing this together again!" She ran a finger across Yumeno's cheek to dry the few tears that remained, allowing her touch to linger as though it hurt to let go. "Thank you for letting yourself cry, Yumeno-san. That's very brave of you."

  Himiko's brows knitted, and her arms fell to her sides, stiff and shaking as if flimsy scaffoldings had been glued to her shoulders. "Uhnaa...!" Tenko froze at a loss, and parted her lips to ask what was wrong--

  "I love you Tenko!!!" Yumeno lunged forward and gave her a quick, clumsy kiss that feels more like a headbutt than anything. She ducked under her hat as she ran away, while Shinguuji whined about about not stepping on the salt or something or other. Tenko couldn't really hear it over the sound of her internal screaming.

  Tenko excused herself and ran outside, slamming the door behind her. "KIYAAAAAH," she yelled again and again, hopping in circles and giggling herself silly, not noticing the profoundly befuddled Kiibo petrified in confusion but a few feet away. She quickly strolled back in before they had time to ask anything.

  "Tenko's back and okay!" She did her best to avoid staring at Yumeno, lest the warm, tingly feelings overtake her senses again.

  "Nishishi...geez, Chabashira-chan!" Ouma teased. "Your squeals were so loud, plus you looked so red; I was almost afraid you'd caught fire somehow!"

  "Hush now. We have no time for such frivolities anymore," chided Shinguuji, averting a crisis by stopping the conversation in its tracks.

  A laundry list of instructions were babbled Tenko's way as she helped place a cage and a statue over Yumeno--but not before asking if she was comfortable.  Apparently she liked tight spaces like this. Tenko shrugged.

  All said and done, she took her place in one of the corners of the room and cupped a candle in her hands.

  Shinguuji turned towards the center of the room. "Now then, this is the point of no return, Yumeno-san. From this moment forward, speaking is prohibited. The next time you open your mouth, it will be Yonaga-san speaking through you."

  "Wait, wait," Yumeno whined from under the cloth. "Before we start... Ye must tell Angie that Yumeno Himiko, Super High-School Level Mage, said... Something cool. And mysterious. And profound. Like... umm... ah..."

  Shinguuji pinched the bridge of his nose. "What did I just tell you?"

  "Nnn, fiiiine...! Tell her 'I love you' then. 's good enough, innit?"

  "...We can do that, Yumeno-san," said Saihara, feeling comfortable speaking for the first time in far too long.

  "Aye... I shall be seeing you then. Please don't be mean to Angie while I'm gone!"

  With that, Shinguuji motioned for the séance to begin. Tenko cradled the candle closer to her chest and blew on its flame.

  In an instant, darkness shrouded them.

   

   

   

   

  Tenko hammered her right elbow into Momota's ribs, not reacting to the warm, viscid blood that splattered on her back as he gurgled. All the eerie, calm poise she had carried during the trial was long gone--she was shackled by the inhibitions of fighting an invisible foe no more. Now there was a target. A weak-point. And all the white-hot, searing wrath in the world to strike it with. And as Momota's hold came loose, with a roar, she lunged.

  Shinguuji did not resist, as he damn well did not have any right to, and Tenko swiped him onto the floor with a ferocious twirl. Coming to blows made her opponent's intent crystal clear, and her rage boiled further. And as his body crashed against the ground, a disgusting mess of limbs and hair scattering about, she slammed her knees into his back to pin him and locked his right arm in an iron death grip.

  No one had time to speak up before a sickening crunch ripped from the arm in question, which lay bent at an unnatural angle. He howled and writhed under the pressure, desperately trying to squirm free. Tenko only tightened her clench, pulling further and further, making his svelte figure crackle more and more as his cries turned to low moans.

  From the corner of her vision, she saw someone jogging her way. She jerked backwards, snapping Shinguuji into a camel clutch as if to shield herself with his body.

  "C-Chabashira-san," said the felon, who turned out to be Gonta.

  "Are you going to defend him?" she flashed, eyes locking onto his with such ferocity that he nearly staggered.

  "Gonta's just--"

  Her grip on Shinguuji's chin tightened. _"Are you going to defend him."_

  Gonta flinched. "...Gonta just wants Chabashira-san to be safe."

  "It's... It's over, Chabashira-san. We don't need to prolong this," said Saihara, clutching his stand as tightly as he had since the voting began.

  "No surprise hearing that cowardice from you menaces," Tenko spat. "You look into this degenerate's face and you can't feel the pain and fear of his victims? Y-You can't see he deserves this?!" She punctuated her sentence by pummeling Shinguuji's chest with one hand. The blood spewing from his mouth glued his mask to his face, and murky, grotesque streaks of maroon oozed down his shirt as he wheezed. He took a sorry excuse for a breath and his eyes watered.

  "S-Shit, even if you're right, doesn't mean you gotta make us sit through you getting off to torturing Shi... Six-in... Uh." Iruma's voice wobbled as she struggled to come up with a nickname. "H-Him! The fuck?!" She shrank into the farthest corner, trembling.

  "Yeeeah, gonna have to agree with you there."

  The ground shuddered with a wave that knocked everyone off balance. Three Exisals were deployed, dwarfing and surrounding Tenko from all sides with weapons on the ready.

  "See, in this house, Punishment Time is an honored tradition," Monokuma started, leaning forward to glower from its throne. "It won't be half as fun if you just tear all the guy's limbs off before we start! That's what the execution's for!"

  The Monokubz' cries muddled together as they closed the distance in a cacophony of whirring metal and thumping footsteps, loud enough to drown out the screams echoing from all sides of the courtroom. ("P-Please, I can't handle any more violence..." "THIS-IS-FOR-THE-GOOD-OF-YOUR-FRIENDSHIP. PLEASE-UNDERSTAND." "...What do any of these buttons do again? Also where am I.") But still, Tenko stood her ground, unfaltering.

  She could hear Shinguuji mumbling under his breath. "A-a...pologize...." Her scowl deepened.

  "For God's sake, will someone put a stop to her idiocy before we all get dragged into it?!" Harukawa growled, kneeling on the floor as she tended to the mess Momota had become.

  Kiibo threw their arms aside in exasperation. "Chabashira-san--by technicality, Shinguuji-kun is already dead! Your interference can only get you caught in the crossfire! I'm begging you to reconsid--"

  **Snap.**

  Shinguuji's body thumped limply against the floor, its neck askew.

  _"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE A SPECTACLE OUT OF THIS."_

  Tenko shot up, tears and snot dribbling past a frozen grimace, with her hands clamping around her own neck. Her breathing got louder and louder as she realized how this had to end. "You're sicker than he was. You don't get to enjoy this!"

  "Chabashira-san, no! Don't!" Saihara yelled, pushing down the bile that threatened to spill from his stomach.

  "Woo, keep stalling her, Saihara-kun!" Monokuma cheered from its seat. "We need time to start another vote!"

  Saihara jumped. "W-what?! No, you can't!"

  "Aww, you cheeky so-and-so! Are you daring me just to pump me up for this execution?! I mean, obviously the Super High-School Level Detective isn't stupid enough to be neglecting what happens after we find a body." The bear's eye glinted with malice.

  Saihara's fingers curled into a fist, turning his knuckles white. Beads of sweat peppered his forehead as he struggled to form a counterpoint, but thoughts turned to white noise every time the crackle of Shinguuji's vertebrae echoed in the walls of his mind. He wasn't helped by the pressure of having to outpace Monokuma and Tenko both, much less by the chorus of fear that rose from the people around him. He ran his hands through his clammy strands of hair in desperation, begging himself to cooperate--

  "You'd be breaking your own rules if you did that," said Ouma.

  "...Eh?"

  "It's first come, first serve, remember? You said so yourself, Monokuma. And Angie-chan was first, so...." His lips curled into a smirk--clearly, he'd gotten a rise out of the headmaster.

  "That...! That's null and void after the trial is done, ya dimwit," it said, wiggling its paws wildly.

  "But it isn't done," Kiibo retorted. "The Electronic Handbook delineates the end of a class trial as the punishment of either the culprit or the innocent party. Neither have taken place."

  Monokuma paused, jaws parting in shock.

  "Aurgh, get out of here with that bologna!" it screeched. "We can _not_ end a class trial without a punishment! Do you have any frickin' idea how long it takes to set them up?! It's what all trials are made to build to! The climax!"

  "But is it worth ruining this entire game...? I mean, how can we play it seriously if you change the rules as you please? That sucks all the fun away! At that point, everyone might as well give up on getting invested, right?" Ouma's smile grew past what looked natural.

  "...We'll see about that, grape boy! Voting Time! Now!!!!"

  The screens on each of the trial stands lit up, portraits of students, living and dead, glowing against of the dull light of the courtroom. The timer next to them ticked down at blistering speeds, sending chills down everyone's spines.

  Tenko gasped. "Ngh...! Everyone, get up! You have to vote for Tenko, quick!" She ran towards the center of the room, overtaken by fear and regret, hurriedly pushing everyone to their stands to cast their vote.

  "Fuck that," Momota groaned through gritted teeth as Harukawa tried--and failed--to hush him. "If anyone touches that fucking dial, they'll have to deal with me, got it?!"

  "A-Are... Are we sure... I mean, that's just plain dangerous, right?" Shirogane asked, fixated on a non-specific spot on the wall.

  Iruma scoffed. "You better not think I'm gonna put my golden brain and hot ass on the line for Chabitchshira just because she shat the bed!"

  "...You don't need to worry, guys. We have them cornered." With a sudden burst of courage, Saihara began to stride towards the bear's throne. Stern defiance shone on his face bright enough to give pause to all of the chatter in the room.

  "...Are you bastards suuuuure you wanna stress-test this?" It stared daggers as the students hesitated to take Saihara's lead.

  Saihara pointed. "We're calling your bluff, Monokuma. This trial is over."

  "Y-Yeah! Monokuma won't hurt any more of Gonta's friends," said Gonta, coming to Saihara's side.

  One by one, the class was persuaded to stand together to confront Monokuma's decision. Soon enough, they were all eyeing their captor in silence with varying degrees of enthusiasm as the seconds passed.

  "But... Tenko..." Their determination drained all of Tenko's strength, and she fell to the floor, unable to form words as the tears fell again.

  "It'll be okay," Saihara reassured her, in part to mask the fear that began to clutch at his heart.

  And with rebellion on the rise and no votes to speak of, the timer hit zero.

  Monokuma hunched forward, shaking in fury. Its ire-filled glare crawled from person to person, rooting them on the spot when its eyes met theirs. That, coupled with the deafening silence, sent a feeling of unease that weakened the knees of even the strongest among them. But their resolve was not shaken.

  Suddenly, it wrenched back. "Y'know what?! I think it's about time we start puttin' some order in this here court! My Monokubz, my little doodle-bears--go ahead and tear these hooligans apart, why don't ya?!"

  Monotarou's Exisal jolted, swinging about erratically. "Whoa, whoa, wait... Tear apart? What's happening?" It turned to face the people around it, as though to read their expressions. "Are... Are these monsters attacking you?!"

  "M-Monotarou...?! How's your memory getting that bad?! You're _IN _a monster too--you're one of us!" Monofunny fussed, exasperated.__

____

  "Kuh, crap, now they're trying to tempt me to their side...! That's such a dirty trick! You've gone Maverick!"

____

  "That reference... feels so forced--BLRGHBLRGH!"

____

  The pink Exisal was sent flying with the force of Monotarou's sucker-punch, a thunderous clap striking tremors into every wall. The prisoners took Monodam's charging at its brother in retaliation as a sign to run.

____

  Gonta and Harukawa bolted, scattering to scoop up the students that lagged behind. The rest made a beeline for the elevator, hoping to stay as far away from the explosions and screams that ensued.

____

  All nine of them stuffed themselves inside, and Iruma began to jam at the lift's button in terror. "You pieces of shit owe me so much for sticking to this... You're gonna have to lick my boots like you mean it when we're outta here...!"

____

  Finally, with a low drone, the elevator made its way up the shaft and away from danger. The last they could see of the room was the red Exisal falling on its back and bursting into flames.

____

  Aside from harsh, deep breaths and shifting cogs, complete silence blanketed the chamber. Utter anxiety and tension had a grip on everyone's windpipes, and, for what felt like forever, they waited.

____

  With a crash, they had arrived at the Hall of Judgment, and they began to shamble their way to the dormitories as was tradition after a trial at this point.

____

  "W-wait."

____

  Everyone cast their glances at Tenko. "Tenko's... sorry," she said, refusing to look at anyone directly.

____

  Momota, who was slung over Harukawa's shoulder, pushed away to limp towards her with no regard to any protests. "Oy, Chabashira... I'm not about to tell you what you did was okay. 'Cause it fucking wasn't, and if anyone here's got a problem with you, it's totally fair. But we're gonna deal with that. And we're gonna move forward. Because we risked all of this because you're worth it, alright?"

____

  Tenko nodded, still distant and frail.

____

  Momota straightened his back. "And another thing--look me in the eye real quick."

____

  She sighed, doing as she was asked.

____

  "You're gonna need to cherish the fact you're alive right now. For everyone's sake," he finished, suppressing a grunt of pain.

____

  Saihara took a deep breath and walked to her side, shooting her a soft, apologetic smile. "...For Yumeno-san's sake too. She... would be really happy you're still here." He winced when Momota patted his shoulder.

____

  At the mention of the name, Tenko drooped even further, if she needed to cry but had no more tears to shed. "Tenko... Tenko will try...."

____

  "Damn right! And you're gonna succeed, you hear?!" Momota pursed his lips at the lack of a response.

____

  "Want a hug?"

____

  "L-Like Tenko would... want to be touched by...." She didn't have it in her to push away. At any other time, dismissing a menace would have brought her catharsis, but now all of her energy was reserved for preventing herself from finishing what she'd started in that courtroom. "...Fine...."

____

  Momota wrapped his arms around her with a surprising amount of delicacy, and she softened into the embrace. After not too long, he gestured to the rest of the class, beckoning them to join in and making faces at anyone who hesitated.

____

  And as Tenko lay in the arms of her friends, she could feel all of their hearts beating together, making a soft, warm harmony ringing against her body. She could tell everyone needed this by the way they, too, sunk into it. Yumeno probably would have as well.

____

  She sobbed. They sobbed together.

____

   

____

   

____

   

____

   

____

  At the dead of night, Tenko stormed into the Super High-School Level Fine Artist's Lab, nails digging into her palms.

____

  She opened the door, and she recoiled when she saw the room so clean.

____

  Against her better judgment, she still looked for it...but the Necronomicon was nowhere to be seen.

____

  She slammed her fists into the ground, and a wail ripped from her chest.

____

**Author's Note:**

> A shame I couldn't justify writing the class trial because I feel like Tenko would be really interesting to write in this state... I'd imagine she would be really really competent and collected, but never accusatory until the culprit was cornered. So like, basically, the opposite of Himiko.  
> If there's interest, I can continue this! I have an idea where Chapter 4 could go, but it'd take a lot of theory-crafting and the like.


End file.
